Intro: An Experience to Remember

You won’t know whether to laugh or cry when you read about an experience a client of ours recently had with a handyman they scouted out from kijiji.ca. But whether you laugh or cry, don’t lose sight of the moral of the story (yes, we’ll give it away upfront):

“Make sure you get a handyman with Real Proven Qualifications.”

Kijiji, a catchall forum for buying, selling, and finding professional talent, is a place to find someone to walk your dog, fix your car, or trim your hedges. However, don’t be fooled. On many occasions, members of kijiji list what appears to be professional talent, but once they come to your home and get started, you quickly find out that they are everything but professional.

Chapter One: A full stack of cards, Or So We Believed…

This Handyman from Kijiji seemed to have everything in order.

• Is he a handyman? Yes.
• Does he mention some qualifications and work-related experience? Yes.
• Does he list what he can and cannot do? Yes.
• Are there some nice photos showing finished projects? Yes.
• Does he service my area? Yes!

Oh, by the way, have you ever considered how easy it is to get free contractor stock images of home improvement off the internet and use them as part of an advertising campaign?

So anyway, this guy seemed to be a great candidate to come on over and perform a job any experienced handyman can do – Install two ceiling fans.

But read on to see how a simple home-improvement project turned into hosting an online liaison from HELL!

Chapter Two: Wasted Gas Money

My name is George** – he said as he stepped up to the door. “I wasted gas money to get here… so I’m going to need to start work right away.”

Hold on, PAUSE Story, okay…so… no estimate first? Because last time we checked, that’s what contractors do. They show up, take a look around, and let you know how much it’s going to cost for whatever it is they’re going to do.

…he wasted gas money to get there and needs to recoup that loss, customer be damned!

Then, after discussing the scope of the project, you have the option of saying okay, or negotiating, or even politely declining. Heck, they may even charge you to come over and give an estimate, but they always let you know ahead of time and they won’t start charging you for work unless you agree on a final price.

Not so for George, the handyman.

He’s just going to come over and start working, whatever it costs, because he wasted gas money to get there and needs to recoup that loss, customer be damned!

Chapter Three: Let’s Get to Work Already!

George the handyman gave a quote that the clients felt powerless to refuse. After all, the guy was already there, he was itching to work, and he wasted gas money to get there.

So, George got to work. First he headed down to Home Depot, the hardware store, to buy items that weren’t needed. After all, he would be billing the clients for everything anyways.

Once George came back and got to work, the majority of words ushered while he worked can’t be revealed in this article. But to be fair, we all know construction sites. It’s not the type of place where you’d want to bring your children to. Safety aside, the coarse poetic spirit of the working man make it a place to be avoided – a continual tune of wine, women, and song!

…curse his bad luck like a pirate lost in a slot machine maze of a mega Las Vegas casino.

No problem, we get it. Boys will be boys. But when you’re not on the battlefield, and you’re coming over to a clients personal home to work in front of them..?!?

Come on…let’s please keep everything polite.

In any case, George fumbled along his way, continuing to curse his bad luck like a pirate lost in a slot machine maze of a mega Las Vegas casino. And to make things worse, he also started complaining that he should be paid MORE for his superb, Michelangelo-like craftsmanship, like he was producing art for the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Chapter Four: My Work Here is Done. Goodbye!

When all was said and done, George broke one of the ceiling fans during the installation. Additionally, both ceiling fans were mounted without adequate support for their weight. So one fan shook violently when turned on, and the other wouldn’t even spin anymore.

…To George, a hole in the ceiling adds character and charm to any home that is lucky enough to have it.

Oh, and did we mention that the electrical wiring was not properly installed, and the hole that George made to insert the wires was not even covered?

Yup, just put a gaping hole in the ceiling. Who cares. To George, a hole in the ceiling adds character and charm to any home that is lucky enough to have it!

Anyways… that evening, George left with cash in hand; he had completed his job.

As the dust settled, literally, and everything was said and done, the homeowners felt tricked, cheated, and robbed.

When it comes to your home, bad construction is difficult to undo, and it is even more costly to redo.

The horror story above was for the installation of two ceiling fans. It cost the owners roughly $250 for a faulty installation, plus an additional cost to hire a new handyman. Now, let’s imagine if they brought him over to repair the backyard patio, change the kitchen counter, or tile the living room floor. Serious damage could have been done, which would have cost the owners a great deal of their precious cash, time and peace of mind.

In order to find a quality handyman, we wrote a follow up article: “Find The Best Handyman Near Me – An Ultimate Guide For Homeowners.” In this article, we shed some light on “8 Important Points” you should be aware of when you conduct your personal search for a “Handyman near me” or similar. Also, for additional info about what a Handyman does and can do for you, view What is a Handyman And Why Homeowners Prefer Them Over Contractors.

Never fall victim to the misleading criteria provided by classified websites where anyone can post whatever they want, and use stock images from the web to visually build up an illusion of credibility.

…Because if you are not weary, you might find yourself playing a part in a sequel horror book titled: The Handyman from Hell, Part 2.

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